“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” (Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV)

Throughout the Old Testament, God constantly reminds his people to remember what he has done in the past. Do you think that’s because God loves reminiscing about the “good old days?” Neither do I. His re- minder to remember his grace in the past is an encouragement to trust him for what he plans in the future. Past grace points toward future grace. This annual report is a glance at our past that serves several purposes.

First, there is an element of celebration. God has been abundantly faithful. Just look at all that he has done in our midst! Throughout last year, we launched the Apex campus (with more than 2,000 people in week 1!), we saw 50 new small groups, we baptized more than 500 new believers, and we planted 38 new churches!

Second, this annual report provides a measure of accountability from your leadership and fellow church members. The mission of the Summit isn’t carried forward by a handful of people with the anointing of God. It’s carried forward by every person who is pursuing the leadership of the Spirit.

Third, this is a challenge for us to remain faithful. One of my prayers for The Summit Church has been that as God makes us bigger, we would never lose the spirit and focus we had at our beginning—that our pri- mary mission is bringing other people to Jesus. We may meet in 11 locations all across the Triangle, but we are one church with one mission: reaching people with the gospel. What will God do now if we keep making ourselves available to him? Our God is not just a God of the past. He’s a God of the present and of the future. I firmly believe that the best is yet to come.

Pastor J.D.

YEAR OF DISCIPLE-MAKING

“I probably shared the gospel with J.R. 1,000 times… My confidence in seeing Jesus change people is so high, be- cause I’ve seen it in my friend. The only question is: who’s next?”

— Hank Murphy

9,973

Average total weekend attendance (as of Dec. 4)

4,322

First-time guests (as of Dec. 4)

542

Total baptisms (as of Dec. 14)

20%

Total of weekend attendance comprised of Summit Family Ministries

Prison Campuses

NCCIW (Women’s Prison)

Average total attendance: 123

Professions of faith: 227 (June-Nov. 2017)

WCC (Men’s Prison)

Average total attendance: 41

Number of baptisms: 7 (Feb.-Oct. 2017)

Spotlight: Prison Ministry

For years, I had been praying for God to lead me to a group of marginalized people that I could feel a real burden and love for. When my husband became the prison campus pastor at the Summit, I was sure that this was not the people that I had been praying for. I had never been inside a prison and was quite confident that I never wanted to be. In fact, I was terrified at the thought.

At the campus launch of NCCIW, the women’s prison, God began to change my heart.

Apex Campus launched Aug. 6 with two services and 2,375 in total attendance.

Two Saturday services were launched on Oct. 8 and averaged 425 people in total attendance between the two services

Average Cary campus worship attendance before Apex campus launch

877

Average worship attendance after Apex campus launch

1,435

63.6%

Increase in attendance

45

Total salvations in Summit College ministry (2017)

355

Current number of active Summit small groups

4,952

People currently involved in a Summit small group

888

Summit Women’s Conference attendance

Spotlight: Year of Disciple-Making

Sometimes looking for forgiveness brings personal healing and an unexpected encounter with grace. That’s what happened with Carmen.

There were years of past pain that had been bottled up. There were scars from a broken relationship with her father. And as she sat routinely listening to Pandora one day last fall, Carmen could never have dreamed that God was about to rush in and give her a new joy.

The Pandora ad mentioned a company called Hope International, which caught Carmen’s attention. After some online research, she found herself attending a benefit breakfast to learn more about their work.

That’s where she met Cheryl, a Summit member on the board of one of Hope’s partner ministries, and that’s when their relationship began to take shape.

244

1,326

457

287

31

International churches planted in 2017

10,171

Combined average attendance at Summit church plants

7

Domestic churches planted in 2017

Spotlight: Church Planting

When I think about how much God has moved in and shaped our lives over our five years in the Triangle and now as we are sent to be a part of the Atlanta church plant, I can say that God had to be working. There are plenty of seemingly random acts that I can’t explain away by chance.
Patrick & Rachel Dunn

Finances

Audited financials as of Aug. 31

Subsequent event: On Sept. 18, the church completed the purchase of land for the broadcast facility using restricted cash in the escrow fund, prepaid deposits, and operating cash on hand for a total of $6,858,996.

The Summit Church is certified by Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

ECFA enhances trust in Christ-centered churches and ministries by establishing and applying Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™ to accredited organizations. ECFA provides accreditation to leading Christian non-profit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with established standards for financial accountability, transparency, fundraising, and board governance.